


Cabin Fever

by Thatoneloser_kid



Category: The Last of Us
Genre: Dina figuring out she is falling in love with Ellie, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-06-08 07:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15238407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thatoneloser_kid/pseuds/Thatoneloser_kid
Summary: tumblr prompt; Read you were receiving Ellina prompts, how about writing about Dina (or either) realising she likes Ellie? :) thanks!!





	Cabin Fever

**Author's Note:**

> If you have any prompts send them to me on tumblr - thatoneloser-kid.tumblr.com : )

Dina remembered the first time she had seen Ellie, it definitely wasn’t the most attractive first impression to make.

Dina found her at the gate to the complex in torn clothes, covers in mud, blood and guts, applying pressure onto her father’s -no, not her father. Her… Joel’s- wound.

Dina sent Jesse to get help before moving to kneel beside Ellie.

“You have to help him.” Ellie said, looking at Dina with cold blue eyes. “He’s going to die if you don’t stop the bleeding.”

“We will,” Dina swore, “Jesse is going to get someone from the med wing. Are you hurt? Have either of you been bitten?”

“No,” she answered.

“What happened to him?”

“Raiders,” Ellie explained shortly.

The medics appeared then, heaving Joel onto a makeshift transfer bored and rushing him off to the bay, Ellie stumbling after them, telling them everything she knew about Joel.

His blood type, that he wasn’t allergic to anything, what had happened with the raiders.

Then she was stopped outside the room by a man. “You can’t come in, kid.”

“Get out of my fucking way,” Ellie growled.

“Hey,” Dina said calmly, placing a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. “They’ll look after him.”

“They have to save him,” Ellie said, taking a step away from the man by the door.

“And they will, but right now you could very easily be mistaken for one of those things and someone could shot you on sights.” Dina joked with a cheeky little grin, holding up her keys. “Go to my place, get washed up, there is nothing you can do for him right now.”

“I-“

“Just don’t steal anything,”

Ellie looked down at the key in her hand before nodded, heading off to the house Dina told her.

Dina stayed behind, helping clean up the corridors of Joel’s blood before heading back to her place.  

She left a towel, a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt at the door of the bathroom before heading downstairs and set stuff up to make scrambled eggs.

“I’m Dina, by the way,” Dina said when she heard footsteps behind her. “I figured you should know the name of the girl who is about to make you the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever tried.”

“I need to get back,”

“I will take you over after you’ve eaten,” Dina offered, turned to Ellie, whatever she had to add to her statement dying in her throat when she saw the girl standing before her.

Dina’s sweatshirt was a little too tight, but Ellie still, somehow made it look good, and her wet hair was pulled up into a hair tie, a few stray strands framing her face in ringlets.

And her face, now completely void of dirt and blood, was prettier then Dina imagined, a dusting of freckles over her cheeks as the bridge of her nose.

It wasn’t until Dina brought her eyes back to Ellie’s face from where they had strayed down her body, that Dina realised Ellie had said something.

“What?”

“I said thank you, for the, albeit too small, clothes, and the shower.”

“Sure,” Dina smiled, turning back to her eggs.

“I’m Ellie,”

“And what’s your dads name?” Dina asked.

“He’s not my dad, he’s my… Joel.”

“Well, your Joel will be fine, and I would imagine he would want you to eat.” Dina reasoned. “And I can wash your clothes if you’d like? That was a nice flannel.”

“You don’t have to do that, I’m just grateful you helped us out.”

“I wasn’t about to leave a pretty girl covered in blood out there alone.” Dina scoffed, like the idea was just barbaric. “Do you like nettle tea?”

“Never had it,”

“Take a seat, I’ll bring it over when I’m done.”

Ellie headed for the table and Dina turned back to the food, bracing her hands on the counter, frowning at her thumping heart.

(Ellie hated the nettle tea, scrunching up her face in such a cute way that Dina could do nothing but just stare).

Joel was, of course, okay. And, apparently, the brother of the guy who ran the compound so they stayed, but Dina wasn’t sure for how long. Forever? Until Joel was better? She didn’t know and didn’t get the chance to ask for almost two weeks.

She ran into Ellie by mistake, in the gym as she dropped off food to Jesse.

“Thank you,” Jesse smiled, dipping in for a kiss but then Dina spotted Ellie, laying into a bag in the corner, and her feet were moving before she even registered the fact, ducking under Jesse’s kiss.

“See you tonight,” Dina called over her shoulder. “Hey,”

Ellie stopped, catching the bag as it swung toward her before turning to Dina, her face damp and red. Dina really couldn’t help but stare.

“Hey,” Ellie greeted. “Did you want this?”

“No, no.” Dina waved her off. “I was just checking in, how’s your Joel?”

Ellie rolled her eyes at the playful teasing, and Dina felt an odd sense of pride at the fact. “Getting better.”

“I’m glad,” Dina watched attentively as Ellie grabbed her water bottle, tipping her head back and taking a long drink. Dina watched the way her throat bobbled as she swallowed before shaking herself out of that pervy train of thought, especially in front of her boyfriend. “Are you staying?”

“I think Joel wants to.”

“And you?” Dina managed to keep her voice even but there was hope bubbling in her chest. She ignored it, and the implications.

“I don’t know,” Ellie shrugged. “I don’t do well in the same place for too long.”

“A comfy bed and food is a pretty sweet deal in this world.”

“You’ll be surprised what you can do out there,”

“Consider it, sticking around.” Dina said, moving to leave.

“Why?”

“I don’t know, you might be fun to be around.” Dina grinned at Ellie. “When you get that stick outta your ass.”

Dina left then, leaving a shocked Ellie behind.

Ellie found her the third time, three weeks after she first arrived.

Dina was tending to the live stock at the time.

“Hey,”

Dina felt a flutter in her chest at the sound of the girls voice alone, which should her been and first red flag. Dina glanced back, her nails scratching behind the cows ear. “Hey.”

“What are you doing?”

“I was feeding them, but this girl here just loves a good scratch.” Dina said, rubbing her hand against the cows cheek.

“It’s a cow,”

“It’s a living thing,” Dina disagreed, holding her hand toward Ellie and wiggled her fingers. “Come here.”

“Why?”

“Remember? Stick, removed from ass.”

“You’re kind of an asshole,” Ellie said, but there was not really venom behind it.

“Thank you,” Dina smiled, wiggling her fingers again. “Now, come here.”

And Ellie did, unsurely.

“Pet her,”

“What?” Ellie frowned. “No.”

“Come on, she won’t bite.” Dina huffed. “Not that that would affect you, from what I’ve heard.”

Ellie ignored that little jab, reaching out and patting the cow, tentatively at first, but began scratching the top of her head when she realised the cow wouldn’t hurt her.

“She’s softer than I would have thought.”

“She’s just a baby, almost a year now.” Dina explained, rubbing under the cows chin. “The mother had trouble giving birth, we have to get doctor Jonah in, we don’t have a vet on the complex, so she was the closest thing. She had to pull the calf out with her own hands, it was crazy.”

“Was the mother okay?”

“Yeah, she was fine, it was the baby who was in danger,” Dina lifted her eyes to Ellie, who was towering over her, scratching the cows other ear. She wasn’t smiling, but that hard look she always wore had melted away. “After that I started reading up on veterinary care for the farm animals we have here, and for cats and dogs.”

“You want to look after them?”

“I do, this is my job here, but when she was suffering and I couldn’t do anything, I felt awful.” Dina admitted. “I want to be able to help if it happens again.”

Ellie’s eyes moved to her, her eyebrows raising, seemingly in surprise to see Dina was already staring at her. “That’s really cool,”

“We’ve spent years trying to keep ourselves alive, a lot of the time we forget about all the living things that kept us alive before all of this.” Dina reasoned and Ellie nodded slowly. “Were you looking for me?”

“No, I was just looking around, figured I should get to know the place I’ll be spending the forcible future.”

Dina felt herself visible perk up, “You’re staying?”

“For a little while,” Ellie nodded. “Tommy reasoned that if I get cabin fever I can go out scavenging or hunting. And you were right, a bed and food is a pretty sweet deal.”

“And what about the company?” Dina found herself saying, that same flirtatious tone in her voice that she used on Jesse.

Ellie seemed either oblivious or unaffected by Dina’s borderline flirting. “I mean, I’ve only met a few, one is an asshole, the rest are fine.”

Dina laughed, more out of surprise than anything. “Wow, new girl got bite, huh?”

“Oh, you haven’t heard the stories?”

“Everyone has hear the stories.” Dina laughed. “You kind of hot shit, new girl. We don’t get a lot of new people here, so when we do it is huge news.”

Ellie snorted. “Is that why people keep starting.”

“Maybe they are attracted to you, Freckles.” Dina shot back, leaning back against the fence.

“Yeah, okay,” Ellie scoffed, both at the idea and the nickname.

“Besides, I don’t like to believe hearsay. Maybe you can tell me all about your stories sometime?”

“Most of what people are saying is true,”

“Is that right?” Dina tilted her head up curiously. “You really cleared out twenty settlements looking for your Joel?”

“That’s what they’re saying,” Ellie laughed, smiling down at the calf when she pressed her head against Ellie’s stomach when she stopped petting her. “No, it was only ten. Ten, small ones.”

“Aw, only ten.” Dina chuckled, speaking with a tone of sarcasm. “Well, that’s nothing then, right?”

“It wasn’t-“ Ellie shrugged. “I’m not proud of it, of taking another human beings life, but they had someone I care about.”

“Hey, you don’t have to justify yourself to me,” Dina held up her hands. “You did what you had to do, those people were horrible, capitalising on this horrible situation, killing and maiming just because they can. Killing doesn’t hold the same merit in this world.”

“Why? Because there are no laws?”

“Yes, but not how you’re thinking. There are people out there breaking the law, killing families, just for a little bit of food. And I get it, I understand, surviving is a basic human instinct, but so should be self preservation, so should be helping your own. You did the wasteland a favour, those people were going out hunting for anyone they could find, god, Ellie, they murdered a family from the compound.” Dina said. “Mother, father, two kids. The oldest was six, youngest four.”

“I didn’t- I didn’t hurt kids, or the mothers. Just whoever fought me.”

“Again, I’m not judging you, Ellie.” Dina stressed and Ellie’s eyes narrowed slightly, like she didn’t believe what Dina was saying. So Dina took a step closer, looking at Ellie with soft, sincere eyes. “I’m not.”

“How could you not? I killed people.”

“To save someone you love,” Dina frowned.

Ellie swallowed and nodded, looking down at the calf who had began eating the hay at her feet.

“Hey,” Dina said softly, prompting Ellie to look up at her. “People are going to spread shit around this compound, some might look you look like a superhero, others like a savage, but regardless of what anyone say you know why you did what you did. You know that you didn’t do it for joy, or as some kind of fucked up sport. You protected what was yours from actual savages.”

Ellie looked like she wanted to say more, but whatever thoughts she was having seemed to be too much for her and she completely shut down. “I don’t care what they say.”

Dina was a little disappointed by the sudden shutdown but it was understandable, Ellie didn’t know her. “Good, because some here can be real shitheads.”

They spoke a few times over the next few weeks, and Dina didn’t even realise she had been completely ignoring Jesse until he caught up with her after she finished her shift at the farm.

Dina palmed it off as her being excited to finally have a girl around her age in the compound, there was a huge gap when it  came to girls, from Esti, who was eleven, to Laura who was nineteen. And, at fifteen, she didn’t want to be hanging out with an eleven year old and a nineteen year old didn’t want to be hanging out with her.

Jesse understood, and a feeing to guilt settled in her chest when her smile at her, dipping down to kiss her.

Dina didn’t really figure out that she had a crush on Ellie until about six months into their friendship which, in hindsight, was stupid, the signs had been there from the beginning; the heat in her chest when she first saw Ellie (without the blood and guts all over her), the constantly seeking her out, the excitement when she agreed to stay, the missing her, the butterflies, it was all there. She should have known.

The thing that triggered the realisation was so mundane that Dina wanted to roll her eyes whenever she thought about it.

It was hot, like it usually was in Jackson, but Ellie was getting antsy being in the compound to Dina offered to take her to a place in the safe zone outside the walls.

Ellie had shown up in a pair of black jeans, torn not by style but by wear and tear, a faded grey racer-back with a blue flannel over the top.

Dina had glanced up from rounding around inside the bag of food she had, doing a double take when she spotted Ellie making her way toward her, her face peppered with more freckles due to the sun.

Dina gnawed on her bottom lip as her eyes rolled over Ellie, the rolled up sleeve of the flannel have an effect on her that it never did when Jesse did it.

Ellie’s lips hooked up into a soft smile as she drew closer, Dina noted the butterfly knife tucked into the holster on her jeans.

“Where are we going?”

“Good afternoon to you too, Freckles.” Dina greeted sarcastically. “Oh, I’m great, thank you. You?”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “How are you, Dina?”

Dina grinned at Ellie’s feeble attempt at pretending to be annoyed at her. “Good, warm, you?”

“Sceptical,”

“You don’t trust me?” Dina cocked her head teasingly.

“I’m here, aren’t I?” Ellie kinked an eyebrow, causing something in Dina’s stomach to flutter. “That should tell you everything you need to know.”

“Fine enough,” Dina nodded, shouldering her backpack. “How did your Joel react to you leaving for a while?”

“What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” Ellie shrugged, holding her hand out toward Dina, nodding at the bag. “Would you like me..?”

“A gent, huh?” Dina fixed the bag a little better on her shoulder. “But I’m okay.”

They ended up at the lake, lounging back on the grass, Ellie losing the flannel and wrapping it around her waist, leaving her in a racer-back that showed off the side of her sport bra.

Dina couldn’t help but stare, small glancing out the corner of her eye while Ellie sat back on her elbows and stared out at the water.

“I know this isn’t much,” Dina commented.

“No,” Ellie interrupted. “No, this is amazing, thank you. I was just- I was getting restless.”

“I could tell,” Dina hummed, turning onto her front, perching herself up on my elbows, tentatively touching Ellie’s tattoo. Ellie seemed little startled at the sudden sensation, goosebumps rising on her skin. Hope raised in Dina’s chest, there was no way it was cold enough for that. “Have you really been bitten?”

“Uh, yeah.” Ellie licked her lips and nodded. “When I was thirteen, by a runner.”

Dina noted the sadness in the girls tone. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

Ellie glanced over at Dina, before her eyes flickered down Dina’s fingers that were tracing the bumps on her skin.

“I-uh, I wasn’t the only one bitten.” Ellie took in a shaky breath before speaking again. “Riley, she was my-“

Dina smiled softly when Ellie trailed off, calmingly tickling Ellie’s forearm. “Your Riley?”

Ellie huffed out a little laugh at Dina’s teasing. “Yes, my Riley. We were trying to escape a militia group when I fell, Riley jumped down to save me, we were both bitten in the process. she told me we have two options, shot ourselves or wait it out.” Ellie licked her lips briefly before continuing. “She said it would be quite poetic, us losing her minds together.”

“But you never did,” Dina frowned sympathetically.

“No, I’m immune.” Ellie said. “Riley wasn’t. I didn’t- I know she wouldn’t have wanted to roam around as one of those things, but that didn’t make it any easier to…”

Dina watched Ellie clench her jaw and swallow, her throat wobbling.

“That was so brave, El.”

“She was _good_ , she didn’t deserve what happened.”

“No one does,” Dina agreed.

Ellie nodded, taking a few seconds to gather herself and Dina could see the exact moment she shut down. “So, why this place?”

“It is peaceful, Dina shrugged, pulling her hand back. “It is one of the few places that is safe out side of the walls.”

“It is peaceful,” Ellie agreed, turning her eyes back to the water.

Dina just let herself stare, taking in the freckles on Ellie’s face, the way the bridge of her nose was a little red from the sun, how her blue eyes look almost clear in the sunlight, the little scar in her eyebrow.

Dina stared until a little voice in the back of her head whispered something she had been adamantly avoiding.

She had feelings for this girl that far surpassed any feelings she ever had for Jesse.

Ellie felt her staring and glanced over at her, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. “What?”

“Your freckles,” she commented. “The sun really brings them out.”

“It’s almost like they are little pockets of melanin, which are activated by the sun.” Ellie said dryly, making Dina roll her eyes and shove her.

“Jerk,” She grumbled. “And I was just about to say they were cute.” She said, rolling into her back.

They settled in silence, Dina’s thought reeling at her realisation.

She didn’t care that Ellie was a girl, no one else would either, but Ellie was her friend, and she was dating Jesse, who was nice enough, handsome, she really wished she could love him.

“Did you love her?” Dina asked quietly, just loud enough for Ellie to hear. “Your Riley.”

“I could have, if we had more time.”

Dina nodded. “I’m sorry you lost her.”

“Yeah,” Ellie hummed. “Me too.”

Joel was there to meet them at the gate, thundering over to Ellie was a scowl.

“Oh, your Joel doesn’t look happy.” Dina whispered, and Ellie barely bite back a smile.

He scolded Ellie first, then Dina, telling them there were walls around the place for a reason, and that they didn’t have to leave.

Dina disagreed, taking Ellie but surprise, claiming it was very easy to get cabin fever in a place like that.

A sense of realisation washed over Joel’s features and her nodded, warning Ellie to just tell him next time.

“Thank you,”

“For what?” Dina frowned.

“Sticking up for me.”

“Oh, I wasn’t.” Dina shook her head. “You’re right, it is very easy to get cabin fever in a place like this. All the same people, the same mundane day, it really takes a toll. I just never realised it before you. I never realised what it was like to experience something outside of this compound, then a new kid shows up covered in blood.”

Ellie rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t _my_ blood.”

She spent a few nights with Jesse, hoping to feel even a fraction of what she had felt with Ellie, but it just wasn’t there anymore, so she sat down with the boy.

Jesse seemed to know it was coming, smiling sadly at her.

“I’m sorry, Jess, I wish it was different.” Dina apologised and Jesse placed his hand on hers.

“It’s okay, Dina. Don’t apologise for this.” He assured, and Dina let herself fall against the boy, into a comforting hug. “Ellie, right?”

Dina stiffened. “What about her?”

“You like her,” Jesse stared in a ‘duh’ tone.

“How do you know?”

“The way you look at her, Di.” Dina pulled back and expected Jesse to be mad, but he just looked at her with a soft smile, no malice or anger present in his features. “Since she arrived, you’ve looked at her with a look that I always wished was directed at me.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t- I only figured it out last week.” Dina admitted.

“It’s been there all along.” Jesse laughed. “Remember when you brought her to see her dad-“

“It’s not her dad.“

“In the hospital? You looked after her, you stared at her with so much tenderness.” Jesse recalled. “Now, I don’t believe in any of that love at first sight or that fate bullshit, but if I did-“

He didn’t need to finish his statement, Dina knew exactly what he was saying.

“Go get your girl, Dina.” Jesse nudged her and Dina smiled, feeling like a tonne weight had just been lifted from her shoulders.

Getting her girl, as it turns out, was much harder than Dina had anticipated.

Ellie was stupid. Not when it came to fighting, or book stuff, but emotionally? Ellie was dumber than a pile of rocks.

She tried to be subtle, telling Ellie she was beautiful, that she looked good in her outfits, then she started blatantly flirting with her.

It effected Ellie, she could tell, but she still didn’t understand what was happening, and it was frustrating.

It was so obvious that even Joel noticed.

“What are you doing with Ellie?” He asked one morning while Ellie was in the shower and Dina was eating at the table.

“Is this the shovel talk?” Dina grumbled into her cereal.

“No, I’ve just noticed how you look at her,”

“You, too?” Dina huffed. “Will she ever notice?”

Joel let out a gruff laugh. “I seriously doubt it, kid.”

“So, what? Do I have to spell it out to her?” Dina sighed, leaning back in her seat. “I don’t even know if she likes me like that.”

“Ellie is… tough, she had to be, but she is different with you, more care free than I have ever seen her.” Joel divulged. “Be patient with her, she will figure it out. She just has a hard time with all of this, she had a bad experience.”

“Riley,” Dina hummed, and Joel looked a little surprised.

“She told you?”

“Yeah, it was really rough, and could easily mess someone up.”

Joel nodded. “Ellie has been through a lot that could easily mess a kid up. Be gently with her, yeah? She’s been through a lot, the last thing she needs is more heart break.”

“I won’t break her heart,”

“Then there won’t be an issue,” Joel clapped a hand on Dina’s shoulder just as Ellie entered the kitchen, dressed in black sweats and a grey tank top, towel drying her hair.

She frowned at the scene in front of her, seeming oblivious to Dina’s almost dreamy stares. “What’s going on?”

“Talking about patrols,” Joel answered, giving Dina’s shoulder a little squeeze, pulling her was her daze.

“Yeah, patrols.”

“Okay,” Ellie looked unconvinced but let it slide.

Their first near miss, and Dina’s first indication that maybe Ellie liked her back happened a little over a year after Ellie first arrived.

It was during a sparring session (because of course it fucking was).

Dina was distracted and, really, who could blame her? Ellie was all red faced and sweaty, and touching her, who can really blame her for being pinned so much.

Ellie had backed her up against the wall roughly, her arm pressed against Dina’s throat, and Dina felt a spike of arousal as her back his the wall.

They were both panting, both staring at her other intently. Dina waiting for Ellie to say something but instead the pressure on her throat slackened (Dina would think more into why she was disappointed by that later) and her eyes dropped to Dina’s lips.

Dina reached out, gripping onto Ellie’s hips and pulling her in close.

But nothing ever came of that because the second their bodies came flush together and door to the gym rattled open, causing them to jump apart.

Ellie had ducked her head, rubbing the back of her neck and called it a day.

She had avoided Dina for three days after that before finding her at the farm with brownies as some sort of lame apology.

Ellie was different around her after that, like some school girl with a crush and it was both exhilarating and frustrating.

The second near miss came thanks to the new calf, Betty.

They had been mucking out when Betty gave Dina a little nudge with her head, causing it to stumble right into Ellie’s arms.

Ellie held on tight with strong, safe arms, holding Dina against her.

“Are you okay?” Ellie questioned quietly, looking down at the girl in her arms.

“Betty likes to nudge you when you aren’t paying her any attention,” Dina said, her hands coming up to rest on Ellie’s chest but she didn’t move away.

This moment was interrupted by Betty nudging at their sides.

It took a few months for Jesse to become the same boy she grew up with but once he started asking about Ellie Dina started to vent to him.

“It’s so frustrating,” Dina huffed. “I’m trying so hard but we either get interrupted or she doesn’t get that I’m flirting with her.”

“That does sound frustrating.”

“So what do I do?”

“Take her to the dance, or meet her there, get her to dance with you.” Jesse suggested with a little shrug.

So Dina did, she told Ellie to meet her at the dance, and Ellie begrudgingly agreed.

She was sweaty and a little tired when Ellie finally appeared, but she didn’t think twice about dragging Ellie onto the dance floor during one of the slow songs.

Even at the words ‘I think they should be terrified of her’ Ellie still didn’t understand what Dina was trying to say, so out of frustration, she really hadn’t meant to be so forward, Dina kissed her.

The first kiss Ellie didn’t respond to, too shocked and surprised, but she melted into the seconds kiss, pulling Dina a little tighter against her.

And Ellie’s smiled after that kiss? Well, that had to be the prettiest smile Dina had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.


End file.
